Get Tips & Insights Straight To Your Inbox

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Almost ⅔ of consumers wait until the beginning of May to plan for this holiday, so we wanted to give you advance notice. Your guests might be procrastinating, but you don’t have to wait to plan a special day for the moms who will flock to your restaurant on May 14th.

Mother’s Day spending is on the rise. According to the National Retail Federation, it will reach a record high of $23.6 billion in 2017 – that’s $2.2 billion more than last year. This trend includes the 55.9% of Americans who plan to spend money on a special outing, like dinner or brunch. How will your restaurant cater to families next Sunday? Use these tips to make this the best Mother’s Day yet!

Great Service for Great Moms

What better way is there to celebrate Mom than by giving her a break from cooking? Mother’s Day is the most popular holiday of the year for dining out. Whether your guests are taking her to a fancy dinner or ordering her breakfast in bed, it’s up to you to make sure you have enough hosts, servers, and delivery drivers on hand to keep every family well-fed. As with any holiday, it’s important to strike a balance here: don’t keep your servers from celebrating their own moms! Scheduling software can come in handy when you’re juggling many employees’ family commitments. Plan ahead, but be ready to make changes on the fly, no matter how busy your restaurant gets.

Family Friendly

One survey notes that 49% of parents visit family-style restaurants at least once a week. Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and other family-focused holidays are great opportunities to gain a family’s loyalty. It’s not just good for your bottom line, it’s also good for the world: Harvard research indicates that families that share meals eat more healthily. One University of Michigan study even reported that family meal time is the single strongest predictor of improved achievement scores and fewer behavioral problems among children aged 3-12. For busy families with two working parents, your restaurant can be a vital part of everyone’s physical and mental health. Cater to families of young children by offering a delicious and affordable kid’s menu, along with plenty of options for adults.

An All-Day Affair

Nearly 75% of moms with children over the age of 1 year are working mothers. We can only assume that not all of those women are working traditional 40-hour/week jobs – some of them must be in the restaurant industry! So not all of them will be celebrating with a traditional Sunday brunch. In 2016, the National Restaurant Association predicted that of the people dining out for Mother’s Day, 8% planned to have breakfast, 24% chose brunch, 33% had lunch dates, and 49% would go to dinner. Make sure your restaurant is ready to host families of any kind, at any time of day.

Mother’s Day gives families and restaurants plenty of reasons to celebrate together. Make sure your menu and staff are prepared for the biggest rush of the year. And while we know you’re going to be busy, don’t forget to celebrate the mothers in your life!